The Times of Woody Fink
by somethingborrowed3
Summary: Woody searches for acceptance for who he is. So when he finally reveals to the ship that he is gay, his friends shun him, Cody moves out, and Mr. Moseby hires a "correction therapist"; Woody sets off to help people accept who he really is.
1. Prologue

_"All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential." ~Harvey Milk, San Francisco Supervisor and first openly gay elected official in the United States_

* * *

I had always known about my attraction towards men. Back in my hometown in Virginia, I had always been too afraid to come out, due to the unfavorable environment in which my discouraging parents constantly preach to me about how to deal with gay classmates. Such parental failure – them telling me to discriminate against a gay classmate simply because they were gay? Them telling _me_ that while I was gay as well?

I distinctly remember the one health class that changed my life. That day, the teacher was discussing the harmful effects of "choosing" to be homosexual – and how it was possible to direct gay friends to "correction therapies". What a load of bull, that was, yet it encouraged me to escape from the life I had lived.

I had found a pamphlet advertising a cruise with a school on board. What caught my eye most was that the cruise originated from Boston – one of the most gay-friendly cities in the U.S. Surely, the people on board would accept me for who I am. And with almost absolute certainty, I dreamed of finally meeting an openly gay person – one whom I could confide my feelings with and who could help me navigate this treacherous sea of discrimination that is America.

So I spent months trying to persuade my parents to let me attend school on this _S.S. Tipton_. I told them stories of bullying, about how the public education system simply wasn't right for me, and about my (absolutely false) dream of becoming a marine biologist and how being on a ship could further that dream. At first they offered to contact the school and remedy the bullying situation, but I rebuffed this claim, stating that it would only increase the bullying. They offered to send me to the local Catholic school (which, apparently, would fit my educational needs better). I was religious only because my parents wanted me to be – so Catholic school did not appeal to me whatsoever. They didn't respond to my dream of being a marine biologist – they wanted me to become a politician who would spread religious ideals. (As if the constitution didn't clearly dictate the separation of church and state).

In any case, my parents finally agreed to let me attend school on the _S.S. Tipton_, all the while crying that their 'baby' was all grown up and ready to travel off in world without their 'guidance' – as if they wouldn't kick me out the house the moment they learned I was gay.

As I traveled north to Boston by bus, I felt a strange sense of ease as the bus rolled across the border into Maryland, as if fifteen years of tensed muscles simply relaxed because I left the geographical confines of discrimination. Maryland offered protection against LGBT people – Virginia had no such kindness. As I moved north, the feeling of elation and freedom simply increased. It was completely psychological, of course, yet the feeling that I was being protected with the full backing of the state governments was extremely welcoming.

The bus stopped in Boston and I climbed off, taking my two luggages from the underneath compartments and staring out at the beautiful bay. I unfolded my map and followed the directions towards Dock 5C, where the _S.S. Tipton_ was located. At this point, I was nearly jumping with excitement at finally being able to escape my torturous life of hiding inside a closet and finally being able to liberate myself. As I climbed up the stairs, I felt happy for the first time in a long while as each step carried me towards a new life.

For the first time, I would no longer have to hide my identity. I would not have to fear losing friends and family. I would not have to live in fear that one day, my greatest secret would be revealed. I no longer had to stare at the gay books in the library but not have the courage to check them out. I no longer had to endure listening to my parents, teachers, and classmates as they sneered at homosexuals, sneering at who I am. But most importantly, I no longer had to hide who I am, and my sense of self. I certainly felt very liberated and free.

Indeed, my very dream of finding a supportive mentor, of finding supportive friends, teachers, and parental figures – that dream collapsed upon itself within my first week on the _S.S. Tipton_.

* * *

**So, how was it? Please R&R and tell me how you think! I know Woody may be a bit OOC, considering how he's the show's comic relief...but...well...**

**And if you're thinking about flaming me because of the subject of this fic – and to preach to me theocratic reasons as to why you think homosexuality is a sin; go and fuck off. Seriously. If you don't agree that people are born with their sexual orientation, then why the hell are you even reading this?**


	2. Chapter 1

_"When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one." ~Epitaph of __Technical Sergeant __Leonard P. Matlovich, 1988 _

* * *

My first day on the _S.S. Tipton_ had already passed and I haven't told a living soul that I was gay, yet. The opportunity never showed itself – and, anyway, I was rooming with a boy – Cody Martin – and I was absolutely frightened that he would kick me out because I was gay. Past experiences taught me that homophobes think that gay people are always sexually active.

So I kept quiet about my sexual orientation. Who could blame me? I was absolutely terrified now that I was actually on the ship and was no longer in dreamland. And to make matters worse, there were no openly gay person on board whom I could ask for help. The situation was quickly deteriorating into my worst-case scenario.

Some would say my fear was unfounded. Perhaps it was. But imagine living for 15 years, in a world where everything was catered to other people – and your interests were left in the dust. Your interests were practically ignored. Imagine that. I couldn't find the courage to tell – at least, not yet.

I lived my first six months on the _S.S. Tipton_ while in the closet. I made our room extremely messy so Cody wouldn't doubt that I had 'manly' qualities. I had attempted to date many girls (all of which failed, especially when I barfed into one of my date's purse). I pretended to like Chelsea – I was bored and thought it would be interesting to see how long I could pretend to be a butler. (Obviously, not very long)

Yet, there were also other times when I was impressed at how dense some people were. When other guys were fawning over girls, I was fawning over cake – although I guess that could be interpreted for immaturity.

The ship was full of hormones. London chased after every guy she met, while Zack conversely chased after every girl. Mr. Moseby and Mrs. Tuttweiller seemed to have something going on. Cody spent six months trying to ask Bailey out – while Bailey seemed quite impervious until the corn cob festival.

Nobody recognized that, I, a member of the supposed testosterone-crazy species of males, did not utter a single word that related to the admiration of the female species. But the suppressing my sexual orientation was the sole reason why I left Virginia and came aboard this cruise. I had to escape that cycle – yet I found myself trapped in it, once again.

So I decided that Hawaii would be the perfect time to step out of the closet. Everyone would be happy and having a good time – there would be no reason for anybody to care that I was gay. Why would they? Slowly but surely, I was reversing back to the positive mentality that people in Boston had a 'live and let live' paradigm.

* * *

So when the Teen Cruise docked in Hawaii, I sought out Mr. Moseby, who had acted as a second-father to me on the ship, and told him I was gay. His reaction was quite unexpected. He laughed at me and told me that nobody as smart as me would voluntarily choose to go down the "devil's path". He was no longer my second-father.

I sought out Zack and found him hanging out at a juice bar on the beach front. When I told him I was gay, he looked at me oddly and told me that I was hurting self-esteem by insulting myself. I didn't quite understand what that meant – so I assumed he didn't understand the meaning of being gay; and rather only understood the homophobic usage of it being an insult. When I told him that it meant that I was attracted to people of the same sex; he slapped me and told me I was out of my mind.

I found Cody and Bailey on a date inside a Hawaiian-style restaurant. I sat down and told them I was gay. Bailey blinked twice, then stated simply, "Woody, this is why I forget half of the things you say." I understood why she would tune out my announcement of having 11 toes – because it was disgusting. Being gay is not disgusting. I told her that and she shook her head. Cody simply told me to leave our room and find somewhere else to sleep. As if I would do anything to him at night.

I found London wandering in one of the ABC Stores in Hawaii (nicknamed by the locals, "All Blocks Covered") and wondering aloud where all the jewelry were. She was the only one who didn't seem bothered that I was gay. "People are different. Some people are poor, some people are rich. I learned that a long time ago. It's not right to judge people because they are different – it was the only rule Daddy taught me." London, being quite stupid, actually said something smart. London would be my only friend for the next few months as I resolved to open the hearts and minds of my new friends aboard the _S.S. Tipton_.

* * *

**How was it? I don't think I did quite as good a job as the last chapter. Please review and tell me what you thought!**


	3. Chapter 2

"_If homosexuality is a disease, let's all call in queer to work: 'Hello. Can't work today, still queer.'" ~Robin Tyler, lead plaintiff in _Tyler v. California_, an effort to overturn a ballot proposition which banned gays from marrying in that state._

* * *

"Mr. Moseby, you're mad," I told him. "You can't _correct_ me. Its who I am!"

"I can't say I agree with your behavior, Mr. Fink," Mr. Moseby replied. "And your parents insist."

"I don't care what my parents say!" I replied.

"They're you're parents," Mr. Moseby said, trying to reason for me. But I was in an enraged furor.

"Any parent who doesn't like what I am is not my parent."

"They're trying to help you. You're parents love you and they want what's best for you."

I laughed. "That is the most absurd thing I've ever heard. If they love me, they would accept who I am and not try to change who I am to match their ideal figure."

Mr. Moseby seemed momentarily lost for words. "It doesn't matter. Homosexuality is a disease that needs to be cured. Your parents hired state-of-the-art correctional doctors."

"State-of-the-art? That's absolutely bogus. There is no such thing as a 'state-of-the-art' correctional doctor. This practice is shunned by the mainstream medical community!"

"You're going in." Mr. Moseby said, and pushed me into the ship's infirmary.

There were two men in white lab coats. The greeted me cordially, "Hello, Mr. Fink. My name is Doctor Verga and this is Doctor Watson. We have prepared a day-long program to help you recover. Are you prepared?"

"No."

Doctor Verga smiled at me, although his words were quite harsh. "Unfortunately for you, that decision is out of your hands." He shoved a bowl of clear liquid at me. "Drink this."

"No."

"We have authorization from your parents to use force if necessary." Great, so my parents authorized strangers to dump an unknown substance down my throat. Lovely.

"Don't care."

"Drink it." Doctor Verga gave me the bowl. I dumped the liquid on his shoe and chucked the bowl out the open porthole.

Doctor Verga continued smiling as Doctor Watson handed him another bowl. "Drink it."

I shook my head in rare defiance. "No."

It took about a second. Dr. Verga's gloved hand shot out and grabbed my chin, lifting it, and simultaneously dumping the liquid into my unsuspecting, open mouth.

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

I choked as I attempted to spit out the liquid. I sat on the bed, feeling quite dejected. Suddenly, a churning feeling that I haven't felt since my days of seasickness arose in my stomach.

Almost as if expecting it, Dr. Watson handed me a bucket as I vomited my breakfast.

"Good," Dr. Verga said, scribbling on his clipboard, as if I had passed an examination. "Next, I want you to kneel down on the ground."

"No."

Dr. Watson grabbed my shirt and forced me into a kneeling position.

Dr. Verga, still smiling, took a Holy Cross from his coat pocket, and placed it in my palm. Doctors aren't supposed to be religious while performing their duties. I concluded that these weren't real, certified, doctors – though I was still powerless to do anything.

"Now that you have just vomited the devil's spirit, we have some soul cleansing to do," Doctor Verga explained. _Vomiting _is supposed to cure you of the 'devil's spirit'? These people were crazy.

I chucked the cross at Dr. Verga's head to stun him, dodged Dr. Watson's swipe, and ran out the infirmary – right into Kirby's arms. Yet, he let me go, and I heard him whisper "run" to me. Behind me, I could hear Kirby telling the doctors that I had bounced off his "extremely plump tummy".

_Somewhere to hide_. I decided on hiding in London's closet. Despite her being forced to share a room with Bailey, London still had her own walk-in closet on the ship. It was the bribe that Mr. Tipton offered to London to keep her on the ship.

Fortunately, London being a forgetful girl, left her keys inside the lock. I breathed a sigh of relief as I slumped against the closet's door. Mr. Moseby and those horrid doctors would never be able to find me, now.

I thought about Dr. Verga and Dr. Watson. I thought about Mr. Moseby. I also thought about Kirby's betrayal to his job. There were now two people I could count on: Kirby and London. I also thought about my old friends: Zack, Cody, and Bailey. They were off having fun in Hawaii and I was here, stuck, in London's closet.

I had vowed to change their minds about me. In Zack's case, he was simply uninformed about homosexuality and thought it shocking. He would be easy and my first target. Bailey would be more difficult because she grew up in a conservative, religious agricultural family. I had initially thought that Cody would accept me – but apparently not.

I took the time to wander London's closet. Sitting down on quite an uncomfortable sofa made of animal fur, I turned on the enormous television screen on one side of the wall. It was, by default, turned to the _S.S. Tipton_ channel, where they were currently broadcasting my escape – telling people to turn me in if they were to find me.

_Mr. Moseby is taking this very seriously_, I thought. I quickly turned off the television set in case somebody heard the noise and decided to investigate. It was no use, though. Someone was outside, unlocking the door. I quickly dived towards a pile of clothes as I heard a large scream.

Turning around, I saw London Tipton staring at me as I lay on a pile of very expensive-looking dresses.

I jumped up. "Shh, shh, quiet down, you'll attract attention."

London closed her mouth. "What are you doing here?" she asked, fiercely.

"Hiding from Mr. Moseby and two doctors."

London laughed. "You mean Verga and Swat Team? Psshh, stay here all you want. They're creepy."

I smiled weakly. Apparently, the liquid Dr. Verga shoved down my throat wasn't a one-time vomiting tonic. "Can you...can you get me...a-a bucket?"

"Bucket?" London asked. "Here you go." Almost like a magician, London proffered a bucket just as I felt the rest of my breakfast empty out.

London dropped the bucket and screamed again. Once she calmed down, I explained the situation to her and begged her not to tell anyone of my hiding place. London agreed.

Just then, Kirby poked his head through the door. "I heard screaming," he said. "Oh, its you."

I looked up at Kirby and muttered a weak thanks.

"You look terrible," Kirby told me. He glanced at the bucket on the floor and at my increasingly pale face. "You should sue those guys for child abuse."

I shook my head. "Can't. My parents authorized them to do this to me."

"What? Are your parents crazy?"

I nodded. "Probably." Everything went black.

* * *

**Two updates in one day. I might provide yet another one in the coming days – though there won't be updates for weeks once July 30 rolls around. Anyway, please review!**

**I'm starting to think that I'm making Woody too OOC by making him speak with more complex words. Feedback is welcome. **


	4. Chapter 3

_I'd rather be black than gay because when you're black you don't have to tell your mother. ~Charles Pierce, 1980_

* * *

By the time Kirby nursed me back to health, the _S.S. Tipton_ had already left Hawaii; and Mr. Moseby had given up searching for me. Although Dr. Verga and Dr. Watson had left the ship, I was too afraid to leave, just yet, so I spent my time toiling away in London's closet. It became my new room.

From watching the _S.S. Tipton_ channel, I learned several things. Firstly, I was surprised to learn that my parents were in Hawaii, looking for me – although their definition of "helping" me nonetheless remained the same. I also learned that Mr. Tipton personally got involved in the conflict. He was trying to quell the controversy that gathered with the usage of religious extortionists on an unwilling schoolchild. Kirby told me that there were rumors of lawsuits flying around and that Mr. Moseby was positively terrified.

Besides television, I occupied my time by reading. Granted, they were mostly fashion and celebrity magazines, and while fashion bores me, I think people should stop stalking celebrities and just leave them alone. Like the news about Lola and Mike getting together – people should just shut up and leave them alone.

In any case, I busied myself in one of London's fluffy beanbags when the door burst open and London came flying in for her hourly outfit change. I glanced towards the pile of discarded clothing already used today, and grimaced at the thought of what Cody would do to London if he knew what happened to the clothes. London is an environmental disaster.

"Hey, Woody," London called out from deep within the closet. "Have you seen my pink scarf?"

"Which one?" I yelled. "You have lots of pink scarves."

"The really soft and fluffy one," London replied. _Incredible specificity_.

I glanced down and noticed that I was using it as a blanket. "Um, London? I found it!"

London's face peeked from around a rack of tops. "Oh, look, there it is! Thanks," she grabbed it and put it on. "Enjoying my closet?"

I nodded. "Yeah...it's...it's quite something. Listen, can you do a favor?"

"Sure."

"Could you head over to my room and bring me my laptop?"

"Okay. Bye, Woody," London agreed.

I didn't have my hopes too high, and alas, London definitely forgot to bring me my laptop. I sighed. _People_ could only entertain me for so long.

Suddenly, one Zack Martin burst into the closet, muttering things about London trying to steal his laptop. Perhaps London didn't quite forget – although I _did_ forget to mention that I shared a room with Cody, not Zack.

After a minute of seemingly mindless wandering around the closet, Zack noticed me. I was still sitting on the beanbag, extremely surprised at Zack's sudden entry.

"Woody! I've been wondering where you were. What are you doing in London's closet, eh?"

I glanced around, confused. This boy really doesn't pay much attention to the going-ons around the ship. "Umm, hiding?"

"Hiding?" Zack reiterated. "From what?"

"Moseby."

Zack smiled in understanding. "Ah, _you_ were the one who unscrewed all the light bulbs in the lobby. I hear Mr. Moseby is _really_ mad."

I shook my head. "No...that wasn't me."

"Then why are you hiding from Mr. Moseby?"

"Zack – remember what I told you back in Hawaii?"

Zack shook his head. "No. All I remember was that...Alex and I...we-"

I cut Zack off. "Yeah, I don't want to hear what happened. Hey, remember when I told you I was gay?"

Zack shook his head again. "Nope. Remember when I told you not to insult yourself?"

I stared at Zack expectantly.

"Oooh...Now I remember!" Zack's eyes lit up as he answered his own question. "Yeah...yeah..." Suddenly, he turned around and slapped me again.

"Oww! What was that for?"

"Are you crazy?" Zack asked me. "How can you _not_ notice women? Look..." Zack picked up one of London's fashion magazines. "_Look_ at her!"

I stared at the picture. It was a girl in her early twenties, clad in a bikini. "She's beautiful...but..."

Zack looked me. "You're hopeless, you know? You're missing out on a lot. Women are the _best_ things in the world, and you don't care."

I shook my head. "I have friends-"

"Yeah, but you _don't_ notice them like-"

I interrupted Zack once again. "I notice men. See?" I flipped to a page in the fashion magazine which showed a guy dressed in a casual, collared t-shirt. "He's hot."

Zack looked at me like I was crazy. "What? Do you _not_ have testosterone pumping in your body?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I'm who I am."

"Okay. You be who you want to be. I'm just telling ya – you're missing out."

I shook my head. "No, I don't think so. By the way, could you not tell anyone that I'm here?"

"Sure thing. Although I still don't know why you're hiding here."

"Zack, you know how you slapped me?"

Zack slowly nodded.

"Some people do a lot worse to me because I'm gay."

Zack raised an eyebrow. "What have I told you about- oh, never mind. Well, I'll see you."

As Zack shut the door behind him, I felt an odd feeling. Trying to tell Zack something is trying to tell London something. He simply doesn't listen. But when you finally get the point across, he understands easily. Unlike a lot of other people, Zack would not mind that I was gay because the only thing he would be thinking about would be the excess of girls now that I was no longer on 'the market'.

I had conversations with him the following day, and while he still does not accept my way of living, he respects it. That's already quite an achievement considering that Zack's lifestyle is nearly completely centered around girls. Knowing a guy that doesn't like girls is likely to be difficult for Zack to process, so I decided to give him time.

And most importantly, Zack doesn't call me a 'pervert' or 'pedophile' like the kids at school back in Virginia.

* * *

**Please review! This is actually kinda a filler chapter, and I'm not really proud of it. The next one will be much better, I promise! **


	5. Chapter 4

_No government has the right to tell its citizens when or whom to love. The only queer people are those who don't love anybody. ~Rita Mae Brown, speech, 28 August 1982_

* * *

"Ha, yes!" I yelled, punching the air with my fist. You gotta love the ship's Wi-Fi; the Internet is so fast that I could play games that was unplayable back home. London eventually did realize that I used to room with Cody and retrieved my laptop for me.

I exited the game and push a key combination. The screen faded to black and I saw the familiar blue mice scurrying around my screen – the Xubuntu Linux logo. My family was much too poor to afford Microsoft or Apple, yet my parents were still able to hire those "doctors" to pointlessly make me vomit.

Zack and I were the same age, so it was easy to relate things to him. I described to him what it was like to grow up with everyone expecting you were straight. When your dad laughs at a 'fag' joke, it seriously hurts you. So I explained what it was like when the guidance councilor walked into my class in eighth grade and told our class, "If you tell me you screwed a girl, I'll yell your head off. If you come in and tell me you're gay, I'll kick you out my office," amid laughter. I explained to him how I tried committing suicide that night; I purposely overdosed on Advil and was in the emergency room for a week.

Zack understood the pain and isolation I felt while growing up. He rarely understand things – but on this subject, he seemed quite interested. When I was done telling him my story, he looked extremely sorry. "I never knew about gay people before," he told me. "So the first thing I saw in my mind's eye when you told me you were gay were men having sex. These pornographic images of men flashed through my mind. It scared the hell out of me. But now I know that gay people aren't just sex-crazed homosexuals."

And he thanked me for sharing the information with him.

After reliving the conversation I had with Zack, I glanced back down at my laptop again. I thought about a man named Brian McNaught – a gay person who grew up to become a lecturer at company workshops to inform people the truth about gay people. I had grew up idolizing him, and the conversation that I had with Zack was completely framed around McNaught's style.

I unlocked my laptop and searched for McNaught's videos.

* * *

"Cody!" I said, walking into _our_ room.

"What?" Cody asked. He turned around and faced me. "Agh! Damn, Woody, you scared me! And what are you doing here? Didn't you escape to Hawaii?"

"No, I swam back and climbed on board," I replied sarcastically. "What do you think? I never left the boat. Mr. Moseby is an idiot."

"Okay, whatever," Cody said. "What do you want? I kicked you out, remember? I threw away most of the trash you left under your bed, though some of the more valuable stuff is in that box over there. Your laptop disappeared, though..."

"Don't worry about it," I replied, holding up my laptop. "Here, I want you to watch this." I set the laptop on top of the box and played a clip of one of McNaught's workshops.

"Wait, what? What is this?"

"A video. Just watch it, Cody. Please," I said, impatiently.

Cody sighed, exasperated. "Sure, whatever, fine."

"For the purpose of this workshop, pretend that, regardless of your sexual orientation, you're heterosexual," Brian McNaught began. "In this fantasy world, pretend that you were adopted by a gay or lesbian couple. It doesn't matter which, just choose one. Remember, these people love you very much. They want you to be happy, and they think they know what will make you happy."

"Pretend you have an older brother or sister who is openly gay or lesbian. They bring home a boyfriend, or a girlfriend. They are always welcome at the dinner table. Their photograph is taken and hung up on the wall in the entry hallway. People stop them at dances and ask them if they are having fun. People look at you and expect that of you, too. They expect you to bring home someone of the same sex."

"Pretend that every billboard featured two people of the same sex. Every comic book hero was gay. Every television station featured shows about gay people. All movies were gay movies. Pretend that your homeroom teacher is gay. Your librarian, principal, guidance councilor, friends, teachers, doctors, nurses, the clerk at the grocery store...they are all gay. And they all thought you were gay."

"You learn this later on in life, but you learn that there are other people, just like you, who are attracted to people of the other sex. Heterosexuals, they're called. But on the street, they're called 'breeders'. 'Make love and not breeder babies', says one bumper sticker. These heterosexuals try to pass legislation so they wouldn't lose their apartment or to protect their job – to which bumper stickers reply 'Kill a breeder for Christ; these people want special rights.'"

"People thought that breeders were hit in the head in seventh grade. Your friend whispered that God would vomit in the presence of a breeder, to which you emitted a forced chuckle."

"A boy called Bob wants to take you to your first high school dance. He saw you in the hallway and thought you were cute. So, Friday night, the gymnasium is packed full of same-sex couples. You are in Bob's arms, dancing slow dance after slow dance. He's nuzzling your neck; whispering, 'Are you having fun?' How do you feel about that? And who do you tell how you feel?"

"Is there a book about being a heterosexual at your high school library? How do you find the courage, at the age of 14, to take it off the shelf and hand it to the gay librarian? And where do you find the courage to write your name on the little card, and risk people yelling across the hall, 'Guess who checked out the breeder book!'"

"In college, you date other people of the same sex because nobody wants breeders in their dorm room, or in their social circles. You go to movies with the person of the same sex, you hold hands, learn to French kiss, and say you love them."

"Senior year, you learn of a bar for people like you, people who are attracted to others of the opposite sex. You finally get the nerve to go to this bar. An attractive person of the opposite sex comes over and asks you to dance. How do you feel? And the next morning, when people say 'Boy, you're in a good mood. Where were you last night?', what do you say to that?"

"You grow up with this attractive person of the opposite sex and stay together for a long time. He or she asks, 'Lets live together!' How are you gonna do that? How will you have your family or gay friends over? You get a two bedroom apartment with two phone numbers. Don't let people from work call you on the wrong phone number, and never pick up the other phone. Don't call your loved one from office. You can't have pictures of him or her on your desk. Always bring a gay date to office functions. Introduce your loved on as 'friends'. Double date so nobody notices anything."

"And when you walk home one day, somebody asks you, 'did they make it? How are they?' And you learn that the most important person in your life has been in the hospital for eight hours and nobody called you, because nobody knew. How do you feel about that? And when you're on the other side of a glass pane, watching your significant other fighting for his or her life by themselves, you just sit and wait. And how do you call your gay officemate and tell them who you are and why you won't be at work tomorrow?"

"Woody," Cody began.

I looked at him expectantly and paused the video.

"Look, I understand what you're trying to do here, but...just hear me out, okay?"

I nodded.

"Look, I-" Cody paused and closed his eyes. He reopened them again and stared at the ground. "I don't want to embarrass you or anything, but this video makes no sense at all. In a society like that, people would die out-"

For a smart person like Cody, he could be an idiot sometimes. "Its completely hypothetical!"

"Okay, alright then. This guy is just trying to use reverse psychology on me. But consider the fact that there is nothing wrong with being a 'breeder' and everything wrong with being 'gay'."

"What's wrong with being gay?"

Cody paced the room. "Its completely unnatural! Its an abomination! No offense, of course..."

"Gee, and you expect me to say 'none taken' to that."

"Its just wrong, okay?"

"You know, scientific studies show that in every species of animal, they have found several individuals with homosexual actions."

"It is a choice for people to be gay," Cody replied, simply.

"It's a choice? You think its a choice for me to live this life? To live my life hiding? Why the hell would I choose to do that? And those animals – some of them have brains the size of a speck of dust! Do you think _they_ chose to be homosexual?"

Cody shook his head. "Give me time to think on it, okay?"

I sighed. "All right, Cody. I'll be back tomorrow, but Mr. Moseby had better not be here. Just think on what Brian McNaught said. And think on what I said." I grabbed the box and my laptop and left _our _room.

* * *

**The speech I used from Brian McNaught is a real one on Youtube. Its called "growing up gay". I'm not gay myself, so I'm having some trouble relating, so I might be using more of Mr. McNaught's material in the future. The man is great.**

**Please review!**


	6. Chapter 5

_From a religious point of view, if God had thought homosexuality is a sin, he would not have created gay people. ~Howard Dean, Former Governor of Vermont and DNC chairman._

* * *

I heard the door slowly creak open. I didn't give it much though (for it was probably London dashing in for another outfit change) until I heard an accompanying voice. "Woody?"

I glanced up. "_Cody?_ How did you find me?"

As if on cue, Zack walked in through the door, looking quite sheepish. "I told him?"

I sighed. "Look, it doesn't matter. Guys, what do you need?"

Zack clapped his hands together. "I need a little extra money to take my date to the Atlantis restaurant, so I'm here to take some of London's trash." He ran over to a pile of new clothes (albeit London's trash) and began picking through it.

"I'm here...well, I want to talk to you, Woody," Cody began. "I thought about what McNaught...and _you_, said yesterday, and I want to ask some questions."

I tossed the comic book that I had been reading into the box Cody gave me yesterday, and said, "fire."

"Well, I just want to say that I was raised in a slightly religious manner; and the church I attended preached that homosexuality is sinful and that all gay people were mean and sex-crazed."

Zack stuck his head out of London's trash. "Really? I don't remember anyone saying that!"

"You were always sleeping, " Cody replied. "Anyway, I've met you and for six months, I did not know you were gay. You've broken a very big stereotype that I grew up with."

I nodded. "All right, then."

"And well," Cody continued, "I've never been happier in my life now that I'm with Bailey..." Zack tossed a bra at Cody. "...and I don't think its fair to deprive that kind of happiness from you. You should be free to date whomever you damn well please...with the other person's consent, of course."

I chuckled. "Of course."

"But still, I grew up with morals in place, _unlike Zack_, and I still have some questions."

"Which, after several minutes of rambling, you still haven't gotten to yet." I finished for Cody.

"Yeah, um, firstly, I still think that homosexuality is a choice. I don't find any logical reason for nature to make gay people."

"I do. Its nature's way of making sure the truly gifted isn't burdened with babies," I joked. "But seriously, I'd like to see you try and be homosexual. You can't; its not a choice. I've never liked a girl romantically in my life and I never will."

"But I was taught-" Cody began.

"You were taught that Santa Claus existed, that you were left on your parents porch by storks, and that many other crazy and outrageous things! They've all been proven incorrect now – so what's so different about this?"

Cody grabbed a bean bag and sat down opposite me. "Good point. But what about-"

"Cody," I interrupted. "These homosexual stereotypes are all false. From the notion that we harm children to the fact that we flash in public – all of it, false. I could spend a day explaining to you the absurdity of it all – but I'd rather have you use logic and think. Does it make any sense that we would harm children?"

"But you would try to recruit them...make them gay..."

"I thought we were over the notion that homosexuality was a choice? Anita Bryant is very old news, Cody..."

"Yeah, you're right. Those stereotypes about gay people..."

"Cody, you should watch Bruno and Borat. Hilarious movies. Outlines how stupid homophobia is and how outrageously crazy some of those stereotypes are."

Cody nodded. "I'll check them out."

I smiled. "Good. It'll give you a good laugh too, especially when you reflect on how you thought all those stereotypes were true."

"Look, Woody, I'm really sorry I treated you the way I did. Back in Hawaii, I just told you that you weren't welcome in our room anymore and kinda shunned you."

My face started heating up. I never really liked it when people apologize to me. It makes me feel embarrassed. "No, really, its fine..."

Cody shook his head. "No, its not fine. I'm going to go talk to Bailey about this and then write up a list of all anti-gay stereotypes; and write an explanation why that stereotype is absurd. I'll give it to you within the week."

"No, really, you don't have to. I believe you."

"I have to, Woody, for my own relief. I have always thought myself to be a progressive thinker. Champion of the modern green movement; leader of civil rights. I now know that I was wrong, and I'm determined to redeem myself."

"I-...thanks."

"You can come and live with me again, if you'd like."

"Nah. Still have Moseby problems."

Cody nodded. "Okay," he said, just as Zack stuck his head out of London's trash and asked if anyone could estimate what the items would be worth.

"Oh, and I have another question. Boston is in Massachusetts, which legalized same-sex marriage. Bailey's hometown, Iowa, has same-sex marriage too. We just stopped in Hawaii, which has civil unions. I was just wondering why all these different categories were necessary. Do you really need marriage rights?"

I nodded. "Of course we do! You know the Jim Crow laws, right? That was the epitome of 'separation but equal', which was actually 'separation but unequal'. The question isn't why, but because. We need to have marriage rights _because_. If you can marry someone you love, then I should be able to too. Its a matter of equality, you see?"

"During the debate for same-sex marriage in Massachusetts back in 2004, I learned about civil unions. What's wrong with those?"

"Separate institution. Degrades us. Makes us second-class citizens - not worthy of the same categorization as heterosexuals."

Cody looked ashamed. "Wow. I never thought of it that way...I always assumed that...well..."

I smiled. "A lot of people don't realize how degrading the prospect of a civil union is versus a marriage until the waning years of their life. I'm just glad you realized it while you were still young. Think about the absurdity of it all; 'Will you civil union me?' How stupid does that sound?"

Cody laughed. "You're right. And thank you for clearing all that up for me. You'll be getting my 'stereotype buster' list."

"Can't wait," I replied.

* * *

**I realize that this isn't like normal angsty stories regarding discrimination, suicide, and rape. I just simply couldn't find it possible for the SL characters to act in such a manner. Anyway, please review! (The next chapter will probably just be Cody's checklist and then...fin)**

_**Note: There will not be any new updates until September in the earliest Sorry, but I've found myself in a hole of busy. **_


	7. Chapter 6

"_No matter what you think of homosexuality, it is a fact that gays and lesbians are members of our families, clubs, and workplaces. They are our doctors, our teachers, our soldiers (whether we admit it or not), and our friends. They yearn for acceptance, stable relationships, and success in their lives, just like the rest of us." ~Theodore Olson, Bush's Solicitor General and head lawyer for plaintiffs in _Bush v. Gore_ and _Perry v. Schwarzenegger

* * *

Zack had stopped by the other day and handed me a copy of _The Sims 3_. He apparently had a good time making the girls in the game kiss, but gave it to me since he had found a better game in _Avatar_.

In any case, I was intrigued by this piece of information. The video game industry has largely either condemned the gay community via vulgar vernacular such as "fag" and using the word "gay" in the negative sense, or they have simply ignored our existence.

Yet after playing the game, which really is quite interesting, I learned that you could perform a same-sex marriage in it. What wonders! That there were people out there who believed that homosexuality was absolutely fine! The game is such a great source of self-empowerment. Being a simulation, it allowed me to live the life I always wanted: with a loving family and friends who accepted me just the way I was.

I sat in London's closet, engrossed in the simulation. I had built a nice, small condo. I was currently playing the piano, Beethoven's Fifth Concerto, mind you. That took quite a while to master. My partner was currently wandering around someplace downtown. Probably protesting at the city hall over some local ordinance. He's an outgoing one.

Of course, I was the one who made him that way. And there was still a major difference between simulation and real life. And, my God, I wished that the simulation was real.

I saved my game and shut down the laptop. I made a point to plug it in; last time, it wouldn't turn on and I had a heart attack.

I plopped down on the fluffy couch and sighed. Being stuck inside a closet for a month wasn't exactly that fun. Granted, London's closet was huge and exercise wasn't that much of a problem. Plus, Zack and Cody snuck food in to satisfy his ravenous appetite. So I decided to sneak out that night to get some fresh air and star gaze.

* * *

It wasn't that hard to sneak out. Nobody was outside at dark, anyway. I promptly made my way outside and sucked in a deep breath of salty ocean air. I sighed peacefully. It was a beautiful night out. The ship had just left port from Beijing and the polluted air that Cody had been complaining about for the past several days was no longer present.

I made my way down the stairs and onto the main deck. I sat on one of the lounge chairs and stared up into the sky. In my spare time while stuck in London's closet, I had become somewhat interested in Astronomy. But having always relied on images, it was a nice relief to finally have a real night sky and un(light)polluted air.

I spotted the Aquila constellation quite quickly. A diamond and line. It represented an eagle who was sent by Zeus to carry thunderbolts to the Shepard boy Ganymede. But I had found the Chinese story more interesting. Aquilae, one of the stars in the Eagle, is the son of two lovers (one mortal, one immortal) who were separated by a Milky Way because an intolerant God didn't believe mortals should be with immortals.

It reminded me of my parents. I was brought out of my revere by a familiar voice calling out my name.

"Woody."

I jumped and nearly fell out of the chair. "M-Mr. Moseby!"

Mr. Moseby nodded in response. "Yes. You know that there is a curfew, right? No persons under the age of 18 are to be outside after 11:00, except in cases of celebration."

"Umm, yes. I-I seem to recall," I replied.

"Perhaps you forgot due to your long absence. Come with me, Woody."

I nodded in reply and followed him. What else could I do? Kirby was right behind me and he patted my shoulder comfortingly.

It was odd when Mr. Moseby took a right turn instead of a left turn in the lobby. A left turn was where his office was. The right turn took us to the boy's cabins. Mr. Moseby led us to the cabin that Cody and I had shared before my escape into exile.

He knocked on the door a few times and stepped back. A loud thump was heard from inside and it was evident that Cody fell off his bed. "Who is it?" an irritatedly sleepy voice called from within.

"It's Mr. Moseby," Moseby yelled.

"I didn't do anything!" I chuckled. It was the twin's automatic response whenever Mr. Moseby greeted them.

"You're not in trouble," Mr. Moseby replied. "No open the door."

Footsteps. Then the doorknob slowly turned and Cody's head peeked out, hair slightly disheveled and eyes drooped. "What?"

Mr. Moseby gave me a slight shove and pushed me into the room. "Good night." He then proceeded to shut the door.

"Woody! What happened? W-were you caught? What's Mr. Moseby going to do?" Cody was finally awake now, and was visibly panicking. "Oh no..."

I shook my head. "It was all my fault. I just wanted some fresh air and-"

"No, its all right. That's perfectly understandable. I mean, if I were stuck in London's closet for a month..." Cody shuddered.

I shrugged. "I dunno, that room is pretty interesting."

"Whatever. Our primary objective is to get you off the ship. Who knows what Mr. Moseby is going to do to you?" Cody peeked out through the peep hole. "Coast is clear. Only Kirby is standing guard."

I nodded. "Okay." I slowly opened the door. Kirby noticed and immediately gestured for me to stop. I quickly noticed why. Mr. Moseby was nearby having an intense discussion with an unknown man in a suit.

I quietly slipped back in. "What now?"

Cody and I decided to simply go to bed for the night and hopefully, the confusing events of the night would unravel itself.

And unravel itself it did. The next morning, we were woken up by a loud helicopter. Over the noise of the helicopter propellers, I could hear Zack cursing next door.

"What the hell is that?" I yelled.

Cody shrugged and shook his head, indicating that he couldn't hear me. I yelled louder. This continued for a while, so I decided to investigate. Grabbing a robe from the closet, I left the room. The hallway was empty, so I went outside and looked up at the helipad.

The helicopter engine had been shut down and the propellers were slowing down. There was frantic shouting and some muffled speech. Baffled, I climbed the stairs to the helipad.

Several official-looking gentlemen had stepped off the helicopter in a square formation. Presumably, it was Mr. Tipton behind the wall of security officials. Zack and Cody had told me about this. What did this man do to warrant so many people trying to kill him?

In any case, there was a quick exchange between Mr. Tipton and Moseby. I decided spontaneously that I was just going to reveal myself. So I did.

Mr. Moseby looked shocked. Kirby was smiling. And Mr. Tipton...well, who knows? I saw a hand rise above the heads of the same-height security guards, and snap. Another official-looking man carrying a suitcase stepped off the helicopter and right towards me.

I confess. I began to panic and turned heel to run off the helipad. But all I succeeded in doing was run headfirst into Cody.

"Ouch, I yelled." I heard the footsteps behind me begin running and felt someone pick me up.

"Are you okay?" The man asked.

I nodded and broke free of his grasp. "Yeah, I'm fine."

I turned around and looked at Mr. Moseby. He was pointedly looking the other direction.

The man smiled. "My name is Simon Zavala. I'm Mr. Tipton's lawyer." He offered me a hand. I accepted it, confusedly.

"What's going on here?"

"London called her dad and reported some 'mistreatment' going on. Mr. Tipton immediately called Mr. Moseby and asked what was going on. But Mr. Moseby denied that anything was out of the ordinary. So Mr. Tipton contacted Kirby, and the entire story was revealed.

"Oh." Wow, London really is overly underestimated. "Wow. Umm."

Simon smiled. "Come, this helicopter is headed to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, where you can file for abuse."

"Oh." I repeated, stupidly.

Simon smiled again. "Don't worry, your friends will still be here when you return."

I nodded, and followed Simon aboard the helicopter. Back in my hometown Virginia, I had thought that I were the only gay person around. Those other gays on the internet seemed so unreal to me. But on this adventure, I had met new people: accepting ones whom I previously thought didn't exist. Through this wild roller coaster ride, I see hope shining at the end of the tunnel. When previously I had only dreamed of succeeding only if I forcefully ignored my sexual orientation, I could now see hope in living life out of the closet. I could see hope in making a family, finding a stable job, and leading an honest life. There are people out there who accept me and will support me. Who look at me and judge me by my personality and talents rather than my sexual orientation.

Although I broke others' stereotypes about gay people. This experience also broke my stereotype of the world. I learned that there were nice people out there.

**Fin**

* * *

**Well this is the end. Sorry for taking so long to update. Junior year in high school is tough and I completely forgot that I had this until I learnt of a federal court case in California about gay rights and it jogged my memory.**

**The case is called _Perry v. Schwarzenegger_ and it is challenging Proposition 8 to legalize same-sex marriage. The proceedings will be posted on Youtube. Just like Woody's experiences, this will be one hell of a roller coaster. Good luck!**

**P.S. The speaker of the last quote graduated from my high school. :) **


End file.
